Multiple data center data security

Abstract

Securely replicating backup data in a network having a production site and a plurality of remote sites by generating in the production site a data encryption key, and in each remote site a respective key encryption key that are sent to the production site; encrypting a plurality of encrypted keys using the plurality of key encryption keys with one encrypted key per remote site, and transmitting to each remote site the encrypted keys for the other remote sites and not a remote site's own encrypted key; encrypting the data to create encrypted data blocks using the data encryption key; designating a selected remote site to become the new production site if the production site fails; and receiving in the new production site from a remaining remote site a key encryption key generated by the remaining remote site to enable the new production site to decrypt the data encryption key and use the decrypted data encryption key to decrypt the encrypted data blocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method of securely replicating backup data in a network having a production site and a plurality of remote sites, comprising:
 generating in the production site a data encryption key, and in each remote site a respective key encryption key that are each sent to the production site; 
 encrypting in the production site a plurality of encrypted keys using the plurality of key encryption keys, with one encrypted key per remote site; 
 transmitting to each remote site the encrypted keys for the other remote sites and not a remote site's own encrypted key; 
 encrypting, in the production site, the backup data to create a plurality of encrypted data blocks using the data encryption key; 
 designating, in the event of a defined condition, a selected remote site to become the new production site; and 
 receiving in the new production site from a remaining remote site a key encryption key generated by the remaining remote site to enable the new production site to decrypt the data encryption key and use the decrypted data encryption key to decrypt the encrypted data blocks. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the production site and remote sites each comprise large-scale data centers, and wherein the defined condition comprises one of a failure of the production site, periodic disaster recovery testing, or repurposing the data. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the data centers comprise large capacity storage arrays and components that implement disaster recovery rules to be used in event of the defined condition. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising implementing the backup data replication as part of a disaster recovery process in a continuous availability network. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the encrypting is performed using an RSA encryption algorithm. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitting is performed using a public key exchange process. 
     
     
       7. A computer-implemented method of requiring access to at least three remote sites to recover data in a network, comprising:
 generating at each remote site S i , a respective key encryption key, k n ; 
 transmitting each key encryption key to a production site using public key system, wherein the production site S 0  selects a data encryption key k 0 ; 
 encrypting k 0  using two encryption keys in multiple combinations to create encrypted keys C ij ; 
 transmitting to each remote site S 0  only encrypted keys: C ij =f ki  (f kj  (k 0 )) i=1 . . . N−1, j=i+1 . . . N as long as i≠n and j≠n; 
 encrypting each clear data block to create an encrypted data block E; and 
 replicating E to all the remote sites, such that E=f k0  (D) so that in the event of occurrence of a defined condition, any remote site can become a new production site. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the defined condition comprises one of a failure of the production site, periodic disaster recovery testing, or repurposing the data, the method further comprising, in the event of the defined condition:
 receiving at the new production site from two of the other remote sites their respective keys k i  and k j ; 
 using k i  and k j  to decrypt k 0 ; and 
 using k 0  to decipher the encrypted text E. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein n is any integer from  1  to a selected number N. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein the production site and remote sites each comprise large-scale data centers. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the data centers comprise large capacity storage arrays and components that implement disaster recovery rules to be used in event of failure of the production site. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  further comprising implementing the backup data replication as part of a disaster recovery process in a continuous availability network. 
     
     
       13. A system configured to securely replicate backup data in a network having a production site and a plurality of remote sites, comprising:
 a remote site component generating in each remote site a respective key encryption key that are sent to the production site; 
 a production site component generating a data encryption key and encrypting a plurality of encrypted keys using the plurality of key encryption keys, with one encrypted key per remote site; 
 a transmission component transmitting to each remote site the encrypted keys for the other remote sites and not a remote site's own encrypted key; 
 a backup component encrypting the data to create a plurality of encrypted data blocks using the data encryption key; 
 a disaster recovery component designating, in the event of a defined condition, a selected remote site to become the new production site, and receiving in the new production site from a remaining remote site a key encryption key generated by the remaining remote site to enable the new production site to decrypt the data encryption key and use the decrypted data encryption key to decrypt the encrypted data blocks. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  wherein the production site and remote sites each comprise large-scale data centers, and wherein the defined condition comprises one of a failure of the production site, periodic disaster recovery testing, or repurposing the data. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14  wherein the data centers comprise large capacity storage arrays and components that implement disaster recovery rules to be used in event of failure of the production site. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  further comprising implementing the backup data replication as part of a disaster recovery process in a continuous availability network. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 13  wherein the encryption component executes one or more RSA encryption algorithms. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 13  wherein the transmission component comprises utilizes a public key exchange process.